Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) and Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO), as well as two micro-cap stocks, Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (HWBK) and Park Aerospace Corp. (PKE).
Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) and Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO), as well as two micro-cap stocks, Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (HWBK) and Park Aerospace Corp. (PKE).
Nicolae Popescu/iStock via Getty Images Summary Universal Health Services ( UHS ), an operator of acute care hospitals and mental health facilities with earnings roughly evenly split between the two divisions, has seen its stock price struggle of late. We’ve discussed UHS several times: we purchased it at prices we like during Covid and it remains a solid Compounder: EPS has grown by 15.0% a year ...
Nicolae Popescu/iStock via Getty Images Summary Universal Health Services ( UHS ), an operator of acute care hospitals and mental health facilities with earnings roughly evenly split between the two divisions, has seen its stock price struggle of late. We’ve discussed UHS several times: we purchased it at prices we like during Covid and it remains a solid Compounder: EPS has grown by 15.0% a year over the past five years and is up 14.1% over the past 11 years. Below is an updated cap structure. Analyst model, company financials Leverage is quite low and the company has been buying back significant amounts of stock, 5% last year alone. Fourth Quarter Results For the fourth quarter, earnings were solid but missed expectations. Revenue grew 9.1% but was a small 0.5% point miss. EPS jumped 20% but was a 3c miss ($5.88 vs $5.91 estimates). The miss here, while infinitesimally small (a 0.5% miss), coupled with concerns regarding staffing rules in California/ACA impacts, has caused a 25% hit the shares (from its February peak). We view this is a dramatic overreaction. tikr.com Here is UHS on an EV/EBITDA compared to HCA Inc ( HCA ), its best peer. tikr.com Despite good numbers, UHS is now trading at a decade low valuation at 5.7x 2026 EBITDA. Meanwhile, HCA has rated to a near record HIGH at 10.1x (UHS in orange above and HCA in green). For the full year 2025, UHS' revenue grew 9% and EPS by an impressive 31%. While comps were “easy” given falling nursing costs, higher pricing on the Behavioral health side and higher admissions, the long term track record remains solid, if a bit lumpy. Guidance seemed the biggest concern to investors as growth is slowing. In our view it is simply "normalizing" from excessive growth levels after a banner 2025. For 2026, despite the vast difference in valuation, UHS is expected to grow faster than HCA . At the midpoint, revenue, EBITDA and EPS are anticipated to grow at UHS 7%, 5% and 9% respectively in 2026. HCA estimates show growth at 4%,...
Investor Gary Black of The Future Fund LLC on Monday outlined multiple reasons why Tesla Inc.‘s Full Self-Driving (FSD) approval by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) wasn’t significant. Tesla FSD Europe Approval A ‘Non-Event’ “WS [Wall Street] will view the approval of FSD in the Netherlands as a non-event,” the investor said in a post on the social media platform X. Expanding on why, the in...
Investor Gary Black of The Future Fund LLC on Monday outlined multiple reasons why Tesla Inc.‘s Full Self-Driving (FSD) approval by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) wasn’t significant. Tesla FSD Europe Approval A ‘Non-Event’ “WS [Wall Street] will view the approval of FSD in the Netherlands as a non-event,” the investor said in a post on the social media platform X. Expanding on why, the investor said that the move was “expected” and that the technology was “supervised FSD, not unsupervis
Good morning . Stocks gain as the US and Iran consider extending their ceasefire. India’s second-largest automaker sets its sights on South Africa. And Indonesian prosecutors demand a 10-year sentence for eFishery’s founder. Listen to the day’s top stories . Market Snapshot S&P 500 7,022.95 +0.8% Brent Futures $94.89 +0.1% WTI Futures $91.29 +0.0% Nasdaq 100 26,204.58 +1.4% Market data as of 05:27...
Good morning . Stocks gain as the US and Iran consider extending their ceasefire. India’s second-largest automaker sets its sights on South Africa. And Indonesian prosecutors demand a 10-year sentence for eFishery’s founder. Listen to the day’s top stories . Market Snapshot S&P 500 7,022.95 +0.8% Brent Futures $94.89 +0.1% WTI Futures $91.29 +0.0% Nasdaq 100 26,204.58 +1.4% Market data as of 05:27 PM ET. Data is subject to provider delays. The S&P 500 climbed to a record on hopes for a Middle East peace deal as Washington and Tehran are said to be considering extending their ceasefire by two weeks to allow more time to negotiate. That may bode well for relations between China and the US, as Donald Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade risks escalating tensions between the two superpowers ahead of a summit with Xi Jinping. Also in focus: a series of suspiciously well-timed oil trades that the top US derivatives regulator is said to be investigating. CATL, the world’s biggest electric-vehicle battery maker, is setting up a new 30 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) unit to expand its critical minerals footprint and strengthen supply-chain security. It said first-quarter net income and revenue each jumped by about 50%. The company is pushing for its removal from a Pentagon list of firms tied to China’s military, according to people familiar. In more auto news, Stellantis is said to be discussing reviving a partnership with Dongfeng for joint car production in Europe and China. Ford’s top electric vehicle executive—whose arrival at the automaker was heralded as a “watershed moment”—is leaving as part of a sweeping reorganization to merge its EV and manufacturing operations. Allbirds Pivots to AI From Sneakers and Shareholders Love It Read more Over in Taiwan, lawmakers resumed talks on a massive defense bill aimed at both defending against China and placating Trump, while also agreeing to push the stalled general government budget forward. The legislators set another closed-door me...
Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next year Rachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict. The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 compan...
Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next year Rachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict. The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 companies, up from the 7,000 originally announced. Continue reading...
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session as markets benefited from a "risk-on" sentiment fueled by potential peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. As geopolitical tensions eased, investors returned to growth-heavy favorites like Microsoft and ServiceNow, which offer high-margin subscription revenue and clearer paths for integrating generative AI into enterprise workflows.
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session as markets benefited from a "risk-on" sentiment fueled by potential peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. As geopolitical tensions eased, investors returned to growth-heavy favorites like Microsoft and ServiceNow, which offer high-margin subscription revenue and clearer paths for integrating generative AI into enterprise workflows.
Dogan Kutukcu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction From the 2021 peak, the amount of US Treasuries held in custody at the NY Fed on behalf of foreign central banks has dropped by $400 billions and the trend doesn’t show any sign of reverting; in a couple of months we might even reach the 2012 levels. FRED, NY Fed, FT Some investors might interpret this data as an evident proof that foreign central...
Dogan Kutukcu/iStock via Getty Images Introduction From the 2021 peak, the amount of US Treasuries held in custody at the NY Fed on behalf of foreign central banks has dropped by $400 billions and the trend doesn’t show any sign of reverting; in a couple of months we might even reach the 2012 levels. FRED, NY Fed, FT Some investors might interpret this data as an evident proof that foreign central banks are no longer interested in holding US Treasuries and that’s a big problem. After all, if the demand for US Treasuries falls, interest rates can only go up, making the government debt even more unsustainable. As a result, the equity market would suffer from a debt crisis. In this article I’ll try to shed some light about what is going on, and what are the potential consequences for us investors. Reallocate rather than termination Foreign central bank holdings at NY Fed are an important data to take into account, but it represents just a part of the whole picture. If you want to look at a broader view, you need to consider Treasury International Capital ( TIC ) data . The latter comprehends all foreign official holders of US Treasuries across the world, not just the ones held at NY Fed. Chart made by the author, based on TIC data As you can see, the broader data ( TIC ) passed $3.95 trillion in early 2026, which is the all-time high. So, as a whole, the narrative that foreign countries are selling their Treasuries is not entirely correct. If anything, there are buying but at a very slow rate, especially since Liberation Day. Among the top buyers, Japan still holds the first place and increased its holdings by 13.50% YoY. UK replaced China in the second spot and increased its Treasury holdings by 21% YoY. Chart made by the author, based on TIC data China is constantly decreasing its holdings, but the real surprise here is Belgium and Luxembourg, which increased their holdings by 20% and 9%; they are firmly the fourth and fifth major foreign US Treasury holders. Why are...
Having invested significant diplomatic capital into ties with Russia in recent years, North Korea now seems to be pivoting back to China. Leader Kim Jong-un said his country places “the greatest value” on improving ties with Beijing. This shift came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to North Korea last week, where he met Kim and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. Not...
Having invested significant diplomatic capital into ties with Russia in recent years, North Korea now seems to be pivoting back to China. Leader Kim Jong-un said his country places “the greatest value” on improving ties with Beijing. This shift came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to North Korea last week, where he met Kim and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. Notably, Wang’s visit marked his first to North Korea since 2019. In the intervening years of the...
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with representatives from the largest US tech companies to discuss ways to keep children safe online, as global appetite to ban social media services for young users grows. Representatives from Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc. , Elon Musk’s X, TikTok, Google and Snap Inc. will meet with Starmer and technology secretary Liz Kendall on Thursd...
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with representatives from the largest US tech companies to discuss ways to keep children safe online, as global appetite to ban social media services for young users grows. Representatives from Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc. , Elon Musk’s X, TikTok, Google and Snap Inc. will meet with Starmer and technology secretary Liz Kendall on Thursday in Downing Street, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “I will take whatever steps necessary to keep children safe online,” Starmer said in the statement. “The consequences of failing to act are stark.” Several countries are considering banning social media services for children and younger teenagers, fueled by parental and regulatory concern that the apps are addicting and encourage online harms such as online sexual harassment and bullying. Australia was the first to enact a ban in December, with the movement gaining traction in Indonesia, parts of India, France, Spain and many other countries. Read More: Move to Ban Social Media for Kids Gains Traction in Europe (1) The European Union unveiled an age verification app on Wednesday that is intended to prevent children from accessing obscene or harmful content online. While the UK hasn’t committed to an all-out ban on social media services, it is conducting a consultation through May aimed at parents and children on measures such as age limits, restrictions on addictive design features and artificial intelligence chatbot safeguards. It aims to implement new safety measures quickly following the consultation. The UK does require some services, such as porn sites, to verify users’ ages under the Online Safety Act. “We’re consulting on whether there should be a ban for under 16s,” Starmer told BBC Radio on Monday. “But I think equally important, the addictive scrolling mechanisms are really problematic to my mind. They need to go.”
Shares of Blue Owl Capital Inc. posted their biggest two-day gain since November 2022, as risk-on sentiment fueled a rally in stocks and Wall Street bank chiefs quelled fears around private credit. Blue Owl shares surged about 17% in the past two days, closing at $9.92 on Wednesday. The stock had dropped to a record low on Friday, hammered by fears around the $1.8 trillion private credit market an...
Shares of Blue Owl Capital Inc. posted their biggest two-day gain since November 2022, as risk-on sentiment fueled a rally in stocks and Wall Street bank chiefs quelled fears around private credit. Blue Owl shares surged about 17% in the past two days, closing at $9.92 on Wednesday. The stock had dropped to a record low on Friday, hammered by fears around the $1.8 trillion private credit market and its exposure to software. But as the biggest US banks reported earnings this week, top executives stressed that their exposure to private credit was manageable, urging calm. That message was echoed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent , who said none of his department’s work “has shown that there would be a systemic problem” in the industry. Blue Owl’s advance exceeded peers including Ares Management Corp., Apollo Global Management Inc. and KKR & Co., which all also rallied as the S&P 500 Index hit an all-time high. “Positive bank comments around private credit” likely aided the rally, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael Kaye . “A risk on trade with the Iran progress in addition to existing pressure on some of the names, particularly Blue Owl, probably helped as well.” Pacific Investment Management Co. purchased the entirety of a $400 million bond from a publicly-traded Blue Owl business development company on Monday, which helped bolster investor confidence in the market. The sale marked the first time a BDC had tapped the unsecured debt market in more than a month. A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. BDC followed with a $750 million offering of its own on Tuesday, and more private credit funds are expected to follow. Read more: Pimco Buys All $400 Million of Bonds Sold by Blue Owl BDC Blue Owl went public in May 2021 through a special-purpose acquisition company merger between Owl Rock Capital Group and Dyal Capital Partners.